Old Man House
Encyclopedia
Old Man House was the largest "bighouse" (a type of longhouse) in what is now the U.S. state
of Washington, and once stood on the shore of Puget Sound
. Lying at the center of the Suquamish
winter village on Agate Pass
, just south of the present-day town of Suquamish
, it was home to Chief Sealth (Chief Seattle)
and Chief Kitsap
.
was D'Suq'Wub (dkʼʷsuqʼʷabš), meaning "clear salt water," and is the source of the name of the Suquamish people. The name "Old Man House" comes from the Chinook Jargon
word "oleman" meaning "old, worn out", but also meaning "from the old times". "House" in the Chinook Jargon referred to any kind of building, or even to individual rooms within them.
Archeological investigations have revealed that the village site was occupied for at least 2000 years. Accounts vary as to when the longhouse itself was constructed; many sources indicate it was built in the late 18th or early 19th century, but it might have been built earlier. Reports of the longhouse's size also vary, putting its length between 600 and 1000 feet.
The lands around Old Man House were retained by the Suquamish tribe after the Point Elliott Treaty was signed in 1855, becoming the Port Madison Indian Reservation
. However, the longhouse was burned by the U.S. government in 1870, after Seattle's death. The destruction of the longhouse was intended to encourage the Suquamish to spread out across their reservation and take up farming. After it was burned, the Suquamish rebuilt their village at the site and continued to live there. In 1886 the federal government divided the reservation into allotments which were assigned to individual Suquamish families.
In 1904 the U.S. War Department acquired land along Agate Pass, including the site of Old Man House, to build fortifications to protect the new naval shipyards at Bremerton
. The village site had to be moved, and the tribe lost much of its water access. The fortifications were never built, and the land purchased by the military was eventually sold in 1937 to a private developer and subdivided for vacation homes.
In 1950, the Washington Parks and Recreation Department purchased an acre of waterfront where Old Man House had been located and set it aside as a state park
. The park was returned to the Suquamish Tribe on August 12, 2004.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Washington, and once stood on the shore of Puget Sound
Puget Sound
Puget Sound is a sound in the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected marine waterways and basins, with one major and one minor connection to the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Pacific Ocean — Admiralty Inlet being the major connection and...
. Lying at the center of the Suquamish
Suquamish
The Suquamish are a Lushootseed-speaking Native American Tribe, located in present-day Washington in the United States.The Suquamish are a southern Coast Salish people; they spoke a dialect of Lushootseed, which belongs to the Salishan language family. Like many Northwest Coast natives, the...
winter village on Agate Pass
Agate Pass
Agate Pass or Agate Passage is a high-current tidal strait in Puget Sound connecting Port Madison and Port Orchard. It lies between Bainbridge Island and the mainland of the Kitsap Peninsula near Suquamish. It is the northern entrance to Port Orchard, extending about one mile in a straight,...
, just south of the present-day town of Suquamish
Suquamish, Washington
Suquamish is a census-designated place in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 4,140 at the 2010 census. Located within the Port Madison Indian Reservation, it is the burial site of Chief Seattle.-Geography:...
, it was home to Chief Sealth (Chief Seattle)
Chief Seattle
Chief Seattle , was a Dkhw’Duw’Absh chief, also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. A prominent figure among his people, he pursued a path of accommodation to white settlers, forming a personal relationship with David Swinson "Doc" Maynard. Seattle, Washington was named after him...
and Chief Kitsap
Chief Kitsap
Kitsap or Ktsap was a war chief of the Suquamish Tribe. Born 1770/80-Died April 18, 1860. One source says that he was the most powerful chief on Puget Sound from 1790 to 1845...
.
History
The name of the site in LushootseedLushootseed
Lushootseed is the language or dialect continuum of several SalishNative American groups of modern-day Washington state...
was D'Suq'Wub (dkʼʷsuqʼʷabš), meaning "clear salt water," and is the source of the name of the Suquamish people. The name "Old Man House" comes from the Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
word "oleman" meaning "old, worn out", but also meaning "from the old times". "House" in the Chinook Jargon referred to any kind of building, or even to individual rooms within them.
Archeological investigations have revealed that the village site was occupied for at least 2000 years. Accounts vary as to when the longhouse itself was constructed; many sources indicate it was built in the late 18th or early 19th century, but it might have been built earlier. Reports of the longhouse's size also vary, putting its length between 600 and 1000 feet.
The lands around Old Man House were retained by the Suquamish tribe after the Point Elliott Treaty was signed in 1855, becoming the Port Madison Indian Reservation
Port Madison Indian Reservation
The Port Madison Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in northern Kitsap County, Washington. It occupies 30.273 km² on the western and northern shores of Port Madison, and is divided into two separate parcels by Miller Bay. The unincorporated towns of Suquamish and Indianola both lie...
. However, the longhouse was burned by the U.S. government in 1870, after Seattle's death. The destruction of the longhouse was intended to encourage the Suquamish to spread out across their reservation and take up farming. After it was burned, the Suquamish rebuilt their village at the site and continued to live there. In 1886 the federal government divided the reservation into allotments which were assigned to individual Suquamish families.
In 1904 the U.S. War Department acquired land along Agate Pass, including the site of Old Man House, to build fortifications to protect the new naval shipyards at Bremerton
Bremerton, Washington
Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States. The population was 38,790 at the 2011 State Estimate, making it the largest city on the Olympic Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremerton Annex of Naval Base Kitsap...
. The village site had to be moved, and the tribe lost much of its water access. The fortifications were never built, and the land purchased by the military was eventually sold in 1937 to a private developer and subdivided for vacation homes.
In 1950, the Washington Parks and Recreation Department purchased an acre of waterfront where Old Man House had been located and set it aside as a state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
. The park was returned to the Suquamish Tribe on August 12, 2004.